Contrary to fathers' rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse. And as more dads are providing child care (either because mom is working and can't find other care, or because dads are increasingly getting unsupervised visitation/custody through the family courts), more dads are are being found guilty of basic child abuse and neglect as well.

10/25/15 -Because of severe time constraints, we are no longer able to do regular updates at Dastardly Dads. We will occasionally post articles on general studies on child abuse/domestic violence, news pieces involving abusive fathers in custody/visitation situations. We wil also be updating the Killer Dads and Custody lists, while looking for a better, more accessible platform for the data.

7/11/16 - We started this blog on June 24, 2009--just over seven years. And like all good things, it's time to bring this project to a close. It has served its purpose. We have close to 10,500 postings regarding fathers and child abuse, with hundred of those cases being enabled by the family courts, social services, and others in authority. The documentation is clear. It is now time to stop documenting and put that energy into changing the situation that puts thousands of mothers and children at risk every day.

Dad gets prison for sexually assaulting his daughters for years (Charleston, West Virginia)

Father sentenced to 51 to 205 years in prison for sexually assaulting his daughters

by Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail staff

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Kanawha judge sentenced a Clendenin father to 51 to 205 years in prison for sexually assaulting his daughters for years.

Billy Townsend, 41, apologized in court, and his attorney asked for a 25-year sentence.

After listening to one of the victims testify, at times in graphic detail, about the assaults that occurred over her lifetime, Circuit Judge Charles King said he couldn't justify that sentence.

"Since I was a small child, my sister and I went through things no child should have to go through," she said. "I was 6 when he started molesting me."

She said her father was an alcoholic and frequently abusive to her mother also. But he was sober when he sought her out, she said.

The teenager said that in addition to the sexual abuse, Townsend would choke her, punch her in the stomach and threaten to kill her and her mother if she told.

She was 12 when he brutally raped her, she said. The first time was in his truck, but later he began to come to her bedroom at night. He told her he was in love with her.

Townsend held his head in his hands as the girl spoke tearfully. He never looked at her.

"I've heard he has found religion," she said. "His whole family thinks he has changed, but I don't believe it. He deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.

"I'm tired of worrying who his next victim will be," she said.

Townsend was arrested last June after one of the victims disclosed the abuse to police. He waived a grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty to two charges of first-degree sexual abuse and one charge of third-degree sexual abuse.

He received two 25-100 year sentences and a one-to-five-year sentence. Townsend will have to register for life as a sexual offender